The Glory of the Cross: Reflections for Lent from the Gospel of John

Reflections for Lent

by Tim Chester

In many ways, Easter is supposed to be the high-point of the year for Christians, where we remember the three days that changed history for ever. But for many of us, the day quickly comes and goes without us really feeling any different. Yet for centuries Christians around the world have marked the season of Lent—the forty days leading up to Easter—as a way of reflecting on their need for forgiveness and anticipating Christ's work on the cross. These daily readings present deep theology in a concise and understandable way, allowing you to soak up the real meaning of Christ's death and resurrection. Each week, you'll read through one or two chapters of John's Gospel. The Sunday reading provides an introduction to the passage as a whole, while the rest of the week's reflections work through it in smaller sections. A carefully selected prayer—drawn from the rich work of writers throughout church history—is included each day. So this Lent, prepare your heart with 47 days of short and stirring reflections from the Gospel of John.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Chris Hulshof · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a daily read from Lent to Easter, this is a good one. Chester always does a good job of reminding you of the encouraging truth in the text as well as pointing out things you may have read right over. This book is no exception to this. Glad I made it part of my reading this Easter season.

[Gerald Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book around half way through Lent so I didn’t quite manage to use it in the run up to Easter, however, I actually started reading it the week after Easter. Not perhaps how it was intended to be used nevertheless an interesting read. The daily readings were quite short and therefore not difficult to fit in. I think this will be a book that I reuse probably as it was intended next time in the run up to Easter. I bought it originally because I enjoy Tim Chester having read a few of his other books. I would recommend this, and not just for Easter.

[Sharon Weinschreider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well-written seasonal devotional by Tim Chester! My only complaint is that the week before Easter is spent reflecting on the resurrection instead of the events from Palm Sunday to the crucifixion. If I had known that ahead of time I would have started it a week later.

[Chris Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect companion to our Lenten series preaching through the "I AM" statements of Jesus in John's Gospel. It provided me a devotional time in John, outside of sermon prep, which in turn helped center my heart and affections on Jesus all the more during this season of preparation.

What I most enjoyed about the book was the brevity of the devotions. So many times devotional materials try to cram as much as possible into a short space. Chester was able to deliver powerful content in few words which greatly enhanced my time working through the book. Also, I was grateful for the prayers, poetry, and hymns at the end of each devotion that served as a guide to meditating on the passage from John.

Since this wasn't assigned dates but days of the week I plan on bringing it back out next year to use in the season of Lent. I would encourage you to pick a copy up for yourself as well!

[Sarah Tummey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book. My only criticism would be that the layout is a bit visual. I would have liked the days of the week and that day's reading in text at the top of each devotion, not just an image, as it would have been easier to follow. Apart from that, it was very good, and I loved the last day's thoughts about creation and re-creation.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Such a helpful Lent resource.

[Teresa Forsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A walk through the book of John through the season of Lent. Each day’s reading took 3-5 minutes to read.

[Helen Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful readings, hymns and prayers to enable us to focus on our wonderful Saviour

[Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful look at the cross, Christ's glory, as presented in John.

[Adam Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful Lent study with some really good insights

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful readings for Lent

[Gavin Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book was a great way to reflect on the Easter story on throughout lent.